Item: BMW 3 Series Touring 2012-2019
Rating: 4.5

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BMW’s 3 Series Touring has been a front-runner in the executive estate car class for 40 years now, having been progressively improved across seven generations.

You could spend a good chunk of cash on a nearly new ‘G81’ example, but why not save yourself around £10,000 by buying an older ‘F31’ that’s very nearly as talented?

Steering wheel and pedal alignment is spot on
Nic Cackett
Road tester

Launched in 2012, this particular 3 Series immediately outclassed many desirable alternatives like the Audi A4 Avant and Mercedes-Benz C-Class for comfort, refinement, equipment and space – but what really set it apart was its chassis tuning and suspension, which
made the car as rewarding and engaging to drive as the saloon.

“The handling is agile and sure-footed,” we said when we first drove it, “and it has just the right amount of roll, pitch and dive to remind you that you’re testing the chassis.”

If you can, spring for a 3 Series fitted with adaptive dampers: they allow you to adjust the firmness of the suspension and can turn the car from genuine performance estate to comfortable cruiser at the touch of a button. And if you want even more grip, and greater usability in wintry conditions, then opt for a four-wheel-drive xDrive car.

There’s a broad and brilliant range of models to choose from. The clear standout is the 320d, with a 184bhp four-cylinder diesel engine that’s smooth and will return 42mpg day to day or an impressive 56mpg on longer journeys.

You can snap one of these up for as little as £2500, but this will tie you to a moon-mileage car with clear signs of hard use. Stretch to around £7000-£10,000 and you will get a much tidier example.

Our top choice, though, would be the brawny and characterful 330d, which gets a punchier six-cylinder oil-burner that makes 254bhp and 413lb ft of torque. It’s a crackerjack engine and suits the car well, and it will still do 53mpg on motorway schleps. You will need more than £10,000 for a decent example, though.

There are several petrols to choose from, but we would aim for either the 320i if you’re after the best economy or the slightly thirsty, 242bhp 328i if you want potency.

Classified adverts with ‘LCI’ in the headline refer to the ‘Life Cycle Impulse’ (which normal people would call a facelift), rolled out to the car in 2015, bringing a new look and LED headlights.

BMW also added the ultra-frugal 320d Efficient Dynamics model to the range – a tempting choice when you consider its real-world 60mpg economy, and it’s tax-exempt too.

Also new was the 340i, which feels like a pseudo-M3 to drive. Its 322bhp turbocharged petrol straight six is a smooth, elastic and flexible engine that provides serious pace – and it will still do upwards of 35mpg, whereas the Jaguar XE S, say, will struggle to return 30mpg.

Upgrades were also made to the interior, but whether you opt for an early or late example, all versions of the 3 Series Touring have a suitably upmarket cabin, with a neat dashboard layout and high-quality materials throughout.

It’s comfortable, it has excellent ergonomics and rear space is good enough for adults – plus you get a capacious 495-litre boot.

Sure, you will choose this estate for its additional practicality, but you will love owning one more for its impressive economy, engaging drive, elegantly finished interior and, in most cases, outstanding performance.

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 9

Used BMW 3 Series Touring 2012-2019 review

The seventh-generation 3 Series estate was and still is a star player

Good

Outstanding straight-line performance

Fine fuel economy

Pleasingly finished interior

Bad

Lacks 320d's range

Dynamic components need careful choosing

Needs more standard kit

DESIGN & STYLING

Pros

Broad mix of four- and six-cylinder petrol and diesels

New suspension setup improved rigidity and robustness

Cons

Adaptive dampers were an optional extra

In design terms, the F30 3 Series was a better looking and more distinctive shape than its ultra-conservative E90 predecessor. It was a large car, longer overall than a 5 Series of 30 years ago and with a longer wheelbase than a BMW 5 Series of 20 years ago.

Overall length had grown by 93mm compared to the E90, with over half of that being between the wheels. Yet proportionally the track had swollen even more, to give the car an unprecedented footprint.

Impressively smooth ZF auto gearbox is well matched to the 3.0-litre motor
Matt Prior
Editor-at-large

However, by using higher-strength steels, BMW was able to reduce the amount of metal used while improving safety, increasing rigidity by 10 percent and dropping weight by a total of 40kg.

The changes in proportion didn't make the 3 Series appear as enlarged as it is actually was. Instead, it seemed lower, sleeker and more sporting. This effect was enhanced by the front grille, which was lower and wider than ever, and narrowed headlamps gave a more gimlet-eyed appearance.

There was a double swage line at the side and strong horizontal creases at the back, all tasked with tricking the eye into disguising the car’s physical bulk. The facelift overhaul to the 3 Series’ suspension had been made possible by a change to the way the car’s various combination of struts and links were mounted to the body.

Anchored at three points previously, the car’s suspension was secured at five separate points per corner, allowing for better rigidity and robustness from the suspension assemblies themselves and more effective support of the car’s weight.

The more solid mountings have in turn allowed BMW to increase the car’s suspension spring and damper rates without adversely affecting its refinement levels.

So stiffer springs and new twin-tube dampers appeared on the car as standard, with adaptive dampers continuing as an option that came in tandem with a 10mm drop in ride height.

As for the range itself, there was a wealth of of four- and six-cylinder petrol and diesel options to peruse.

The petrol range was made up of 2.0-litre units powering 316i, 318i, 320i, 328i and 330i, while a straight six was found under the bonnet of the 340i. Heading up the diesel range were different tunes of the same 2.0-litre powerplant which you will find in the 316d, 318d, 320d and 325d, while the 330d and 335d came with BMW's six-cylinder oilburners.

The Touring was also available with xDrive which had the capacity to drive all-four wheels, however naturally defaulted to rear-wheel-drive in most instances and could be chosen with either the 320i, 320d or 335d versions.

ZF’s emissions-saving eight-speed automatic gearbox came as standard on the 330d, as did Servotronic variable-assistance power steering.

The Adaptive M Sport suspension, which allows you to tailor the damping control to suit your mood, was an extra, as was the non-speed-dependent variable-ratio steering.

INTERIOR

Pros

Refined, spacious and practical

Split tailgate remains one of the Touring's best features

BMW iDrive system is intuitive and easy to use

Cons

A little cramped in the back for adults

Electric opening rear tailgate is a rare find

Most of the rules that applied to the 3 Series saloon continued to apply in the Touring.

You were paying for performance and cachet here, not space. Fittingly, then, the rear screen opened without having to lift the whole tailgate, electric opening was standard and our car came with a £470 ‘comfort access’ option, which allowed the boot to open by way of a foot waved beneath the rear bumper.

The surface finishes in this M Sport trim 3 Series are much more pleasing to our eyes than the gaudier options in Sport-trimmed Threes
Matt Prior
Editor-at-large

Speccing your BMW 3 Series Touring was no mean feat, as the wealth of configurable options meant you could spend next to forever tweaking the car how you wanted. However, if you wanted a car with a certain level of equipment BMW had six trim levels for you to choose from - SE, Efficient Dynamics Plus, Sport, M Sport, M340i and M Sport Shadow Edition.

The entry-level SE models came with 17in alloys, automatic lights and wipers, LED head, fog and rear lights on the outside, cruise control, a dual chrome exhaust and heated and electrically adjustable mirrors, while inside occupants got dual-zone climate control, cupholders, and BMW's iDrive infotainment system, including sat nav, DAB radio, Bluetooth and online services.

The two Sport models also added sportier details including lots of red interior and gloss black trim and sports seats, while opting for an ED Plus or ED Sport models and you got energy saving tyres, active air flaps, a leather upholstery and heated front seats.

The popular M Sport trim provided extra luxuries such as 18in M Performance alloys, sports suspension, interior and exterior details, and ambient interior LED lighting, while the 340i got a sports automatic 'box and predictive gearshifts based on data from the sat nav.

The range-topping M Sport Shadow Edition added 19in alloy wheels, tinted head and rear lights, a gloss black front grille, an M Sport braking system and a Harman and Kardon audio system.

ENGINES & PERFORMANCE

Pros

Six-pot diesel delivers sports car-baiting grunt and performance

Slick eight-speed box is intelligent and responsive

Cons

Touring economy could be marginally better

At the MIRA test track, the BMW 3 Series Touring 330d – full of fuel and with two people aboard – hit 60mph from rest in just 5.5sec and covered a standing quarter mile in a mere 14.2sec. It is no exaggeration to say that, 20 years ago, that was junior supercar pace.

You might argue that there was no need for a family estate to be as quick as a high-end sports car, but it was the sort of reassuring urge that one gets used to rather quickly.

The diesel estate car is as fast as the old Ferrari 348tb
Matt Saunders
Road test editor

Nipping from 50-70mph in 2.7sec in fourth gear was useful slip-road pace, as was 5.1sec through the gears from 30-70mph.

Thrown in with the extraordinary straight-line grunt was a throttle response that was second to none among modern six-pot diesels, and an eight-speed automatic gearbox that was as intelligent as it was responsive – and which had a willingness to do as it was told that far outweighed a Mercedes unit if operated in paddle-shift mode.

RIDE & HANDLING

Pros

Rides and handles with the same panache as the saloon

Agile and sure-footed but still comfortable

Cons

Not as comfortable as a Jaguar XE

Rolling refinement only as good as rivals

Let’s get the extras dealt with first. Our BMW 3 series Touring 330d came with the Adaptive M Sport suspension option – whose damper firmness parameters could be adjusted via a switch on the dash – and Variable Sport Steering, that meant the steering was quicker on lock than it was around the straight-ahead.

The adaptive damping came in place of standard steel springs and left the ride perfectly acceptable even on the runflat tyres that were standard on a 330d. Select Comfort mode (Sport and Sport+ were the other options) and while the BMW was not, say, Jaguar XE supple, against its more obvious German rivals the Touring lacked some of the refinement when it came to ride quality.

Oversteer in the 330d is both progressive and adjustable
Matt Prior
Editor-at-large

Similarly, while our noise meter was out of action and awaiting calibration, to our ears the 330d offered a level of hush and refinement that was as good as anything at the price.

Elsewhere, the 330d seemed largely unaffected by the addition of taller rear bodywork. It rode, steered and handled with the same panache as the regular BMW 3 Series saloon, which meant that it drove rather well indeed. Its steering was slick, and although there was little road feel to discern, it was accurate, responsive and free from stiction.

The handling, meanwhile, was as agile and sure-footed as we’ve come to expect from the latest-generation 3 Series. It displayed a fine balance and had just the right amount of roll, pitch and dive to remind you that you are testing the chassis.

Braking was good in both wet and dry conditions – particularly so in the wet, where the 330d stopped in less than 50m from 70mph. An excellent result.

MPG & RUNNING COSTS

Finally, of course, there was the economy. Drive flat out in a 330d Touring, as we did for our performance tests, and you could return 17.5mpg, or about the same as the a Ferrari in daily driving.

Drive briskly and sensibly and the 330d would return more than the impressive 42.6mpg we averaged. Our prolonged legal-limit motorway cruise gave us 53.6mpg; tread extremely carefully and you could reasonably expect more on some journeys even than that.

On a long motorway cruise we saw 53.6mpg, though you'll see more than that if you're careful
Nic Cackett
Road tester

There was no real fly in the ointment, but there was a spec of dust in that the 3 Series Touring’s 57-litre fuel tank gave it a range of just 530 miles or so. That wasn't bad, but in rivals we had become accustomed to seeing a number that started with a ‘7’, or at least a ‘6’.

VERDICT

Verdict

Model tested:

Rating: 9

Used BMW 3 Series Touring 2012-2019 review

The seventh-generation 3 Series estate was and still is a star player

Good

Outstanding straight-line performance

Fine fuel economy

Pleasingly finished interior

Bad

Lacks 320d's range

Dynamic components need careful choosing

Needs more standard kit

It was tempting to dish out another full-mark ranking for the Touring, it’s true, but we couldn’t quite shift the nagging feeling that with its excellence comes a penalty that should cost it just half a star.

That penalty is what seemed like the necessity to increase the list price from a not-unreasonable £37,200 to a figure well above £40,000 in order to get the optimum driving experience.

This car's powertrain really is worth the extra outlay over the 320d
Matt Saunders
Road test editor

That should not, however, detract from the rare brilliance of the 330d Touring's powertrain, whose performance and economy were of the highest order.

But overall the BMW Touring was starting to show its age amongst youthful rivals and hence another reason for not amassing the full complement of stars.

Sam Phillips

Title: Staff Writer

Sam joined the Autocar team in summer 2024 and has been a contributor since 2021. He is tasked with writing used reviews and first drives as well as updating top 10s and evergreen content on the Autocar website.

He previously led sister-title Move Electric, which covers the entire spectrum of electric vehicles, from cars to boats – and even trucks. He is an expert in new car news, used cars, electric cars, microbility, classic cars and motorsport.

Sam graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2021 with a BA in Journalism. In his final year he produced an in-depth feature on the automotive industry’s transition to electric cars and interviewed a number of leading experts to assess our readiness for the impending ban on the sale of petrol and diesel cars.